Pressure regulators are generally used in conjunction with cylinders or other sources of pressurized gas, such as oxygen. Pressure regulators are sometimes used in conjunction with relatively compact cylinders which contain gas under relatively high pressure of between about 500 and about 3,000 psi. The gas cylinder and pressure regulator connected thereto form a gas delivery apparatus. Gas pressure regulators find use in a variety of medical applications, such as for emergency treatment, and for hospital and clinical usages. Gas delivery systems are also used by ambulatory medical patients, in nursing facilities, and in home-care environments.
In many medical or commercial applications, the gas or oxygen from such high pressure source is to be delivered at a constant, lower pressure appropriate for the particular application. Gas delivery often must also be accomplished at a constant flow rate and, accordingly, gas delivery apparatus often use flow control valves in conjunction with gas pressure regulators.
Gas pressure regulators used in gas delivery apparatus suffer from various drawbacks and disadvantages. Gas pressure regulators such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,246 have undesirably lengthy profiles and use an undesirably large amount of material thickness to attain the ruggedness required for safe and effective operation. The amount of material used in these and other pressure regulators contributes unnecessarily to excessive weight.
The disadvantages of excessive weight and an excessively long profile are often amplified when current pressure regulators are used in conjunction with compact, high pressure cylinders. When the pressure regulator is connected to such a compact cylinder, it often extends beyond the cross-sectional footprint of the cylinder. This means that if the cylinder were to tip over or otherwise come into sudden contact with another surface, the pressure regulator attached to such cylinder risks being struck by an unyielding surface and potentially damaged. The length and weight of current pressure regulators may also significantly raise the center of gravity of such compact gas cylinders, thereby making them difficult to manipulate and prone to tipping over.
When the gas delivery apparatus needs to be transported, such as in mobile medical applications or with an ambulatory patient, the weight of the pressure regulator takes on increased significance and the disadvantage of excessive weight is amplified further.
Accordingly, there is a need for a gas pressure regulator and an associated air delivery apparatus free of the drawbacks and disadvantages outlined above.
There is a further need for the gas pressure regulator to be lightweight yet suitably rugged, compact, and dimensioned so as to avoid inadvertent damage when used in a variety of applications.